Sizing composition.



' 1RD STATES Lenten.

SIZING COMPOSITION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 653,776, dated July1'7, 1900.

Application filed December 3, 1898. Serial No. 698,212. No specimens.)

To all whom it 777.50g concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS PRINGLE MIL- LIGAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State ofNew Jersey, have invented 0r discovered a new and useful improvement incompositions for making sizing to be used in the manufacture of paperand for other purposes,of which the followingis a specification.

In the preparation of sizing for use in making paper resin has held itsown as the chief ingredient; but to effect a solution of resin it isnecessary that it be acted upon by an alkaline substance, and soda-ashhas usually been used for such purpose. The method heretofore and nowmost generally pursued is that of forming a resinate of soda by takingresin and soda-ash in about the proportions of four to one and placingthem in bulk into a kettle or vat, in which they are boiled some ten ortwelve hours or until a thick pudding-like mass is formed. This mass isallowed to stand until the excess of alkali rises to the top, as itusually does in the form of a dark reddish fluid, which is removed, andthe remainder or resinate of soda is diluted with water and passedthrough a fine sieve to remove the fine grit and dirt. The dilutedsolution thus prepared is used in the beating-engine of a paper-mill,where it is thoroughly mixed with the pulp. A solution of alum is added,the acid of which neutralizes the alkali of the soda, freeing the resinand causing it to return to a solid in the form of a fine precipitate,which adheres tenaciously to the fiber of the paper made from the pulpwith whichit is thus incorporated. The quantity of this sizing that canbe used to advantage by a paper-maker is limited, and great skill isrequired to adjust the quantity to the quality of the pulp to be sized.If too much of the solution is used, the pulp will froth in thebeating-engine and on the machine where the paper is felted, occasioninggreat trouble and sometimes a heavy loss.

My improvement has for its object the production of a composition whichcan be readily dissolved in almost any quantity of boiling water audasizing produced within a shorter time than has heretofore been possible.

The improvement consists in the composition of matter, as hereinaftermore fully described, aud pointed out or indicated in the claim.

To attain the object in view, 1 form a dry composition which comprisesamong its ingredients powdered resin, soda ash or an equivalent alkali,and starch or an equivalent starchy substanceas, for example, flour theingredients being thoroughly mixed and combined together in a dry state.As the proportions which may be used of the resin and of the alkalineand starchy substances may be varied, I state what I regard as the bestproportions for ordinary purposesto wit, four pounds of starch orequivalent substance to one of soda-ash or an alkaline substance ofequal strength and four of resin. Each of the ingredients is reduced toa comminuted or powdered state an d the whole thoroughly mixed togetherto bring the particles into intimate contact.

The preferable process of producing the solution or sizing from thecomposition consists in dredging or spreading the same upon the surfaceof hot or boiling water, on the surface of which it will float for theshort space of time needed for melting the resin, which requires atemperature of about 176 Fahrenheit. The close contact of the substancesand the buoyancy which they possess keep them together on the surfaceuntil the resin is fused or melted and then dissolved, which is almostinstantly and occurs without sinking or precipitation. In the chemicalaction which takes place carbonic-acid gas is or seems to be formed andproduces foaming; but the gas escapes into the air without causing anoverflow even if the kettle be boiling. As soon as dissolution takesplace of the quantity dredged or spread upon the surface of the water asecond quantity of the composition is added to the water in the sameway, and this operation is repeated as often as dissolution takes placeand until such time as a sufficiently-heavy solution is formed, whichrequires but a short time. The starch as an ingredient of thecomposition seems to act as a medium of suspension at the time ofdissolution, and when the alum or acid is used in the beating-engine toneutralize the alkali a precipitation takes place not only of the resin,

but also of the starchy substance which becomes a part and parcel of thepaper made from the pulp with which this sizing is incorporated in theusual manner. By using the starch the weight of the paper may beincreased and the quality improved beyond that of a paper produced bythe use of a sizing in which the resin alone or with the substancesheretofore used adheres to the fiber. Moreover, the composition beinguniform the exact strength can always be obtained and a cleartransparent size produced of almost any desired Weight, strength, orconsistency. There is also a great saving, in time, labor, and fuelneeded in order to produce the sizing.

Of course any equivalent alkaline substance may be used instead ofsoda-ash and any equivalent starchy substance instead of starch, andthere may or may not be other additions of substances such as clay orthose usually incorporated into or forming part of the sizing requiredfor the manufacture of paper, oil-cloth, waterproof sheeting, &c.

The solution of resin, soda-ash or other a1- kali, and starch or itsequivalent forms a cheap glue more readily prepared than animal glue andquite as useful for many purposes. It also forms an excellent starch foruse in stifiening or renovating many textile fabrics made intoWearing-apparel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters I Patent, is

A composition of matter comprising as ingredients thereof, powderedresin, soda-ash or equivalent alkali, and starch or an equivalentsubstance, mixed and combined together in a dry state, substantially asdescribed.

THOMAS PRINGLE MILLIGAN.

Witnesses A. OLDRIN SALTER, M. H. SMALL.

